


According to Plan

by CastleSL



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Fake Dating, James is a lovestruck fool, Jeith Anniversary Week, Keith is a Mess, Lance is a tired wingman, M/M, Misundersanding, Nadia is a protective bestie, OR WILL IT, Pining, Ship Week, it all works out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2020-08-10 08:37:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20132542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastleSL/pseuds/CastleSL
Summary: It was a bad plan. A really horrible, terrible plan that had not been thought out in the least.Now Keith's dating James Griffin.Apparently.





	1. Soulmates

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Jeith Anniversary week! I wanted to challenge myself by making the weekly prompts into a collective story, so I had to jumble the prompts around a little. I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments, they feed my soul!!

Soul Mate

/ˈsōl ˌmāt/

Noun a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.

But sometimes Keith wondered if there was a term for the opposite. Like soulenemies. Two people that were perfectly linked for all the wrong reasons and you couldn't escape them no matter how hard you tried. The universe just wanted the two of you to be enemies forever. If the idea of soulmates was so popular then surely soulenemies had to be a thing as well. Maybe not everyone had a soulenemy, but Keith sure as hell did.

James Griffin was the embodiment of everything Keith despised. Uptight, pretentious, goody-two-shoes, and the biggest teacher's pet to ever walk through the Garrison. Usually, Keith could put up with Griffin's snobbish attitude and ignore him. He still had better flight scores, after all, so what was the point of dealing with a jerk like him? 

But today was different. Today, Keith slept through his alarm and got to class late, missed turning in his assignment on time and was given a zero, got chewed out by Iverson, and on top of all that, he missed breakfast. By the time lunch rolled around, Keith was about as irritable as he could get and a hangry Keith was a dangerous one. It didn't help his mood that Iverson's barking had made Keith miss the rush for pizza. It was shitty cardboard with red paint and old cheese shavings, but it was the limited supply that made students dash to get their hands on a slice. Plus nothing else being offered was better. You'd think that a multi-billion military school would serve better food than what Keith used to be forced to eat in high school, but you'd be wrong.  
So yeah, bad day- soon to be a worse day. 

By the time Keith sat down with his sad portion of bland food, the rest of his friends were already eating. Pidge and Hunk were babbling about some new advancement in the jet engines but they were listing off too many numbers for Keith to catch on. Lance, bless his loud and obnoxious soul, had managed to grab two slices of pizza and silently slid one over onto Keith's tray. For however much they bickered, it was moments like these that made Lance seem like a human being and not the human embodiment of an air horn. Keith wasn't able to enjoy his newly acquired food, no, that would have been too good for him.

"Watch out, Hawkeye alert," Lance mumbled through a mouthful of pizza crust. "Hawkeye", referring to Griffin staring at his back from across the mess hall. It was getting more and more frequent nowadays and Keith just wished James would cut the shit and fucking talk to him about whatever had crawled up his ass and died. It was a lot better than staring at his back like a psycho. 

"He still looking?" Lance hesitated, another handful of pizza halfway to his mouth, before glancing behind Keith. As soon as Lance nodded his head, Keith spun around to meet Griffin's gaze head-on. Their eyes met for a solid second before Griffin turned back to his own meal and started eating as if nothing had happened. Like he was totally unbothered and _that_, that was what drove Keith absolutely fucking insane. Griffin could stare and stare all he liked and annoy the fuck out of Keith but the second he got caught he'd turn his back like he wasn't the one who started it. He was always so cool and collected, no matter what, because he thought he was better than everyone else and Keith _hated_ that. He hated it with every fiber of his being and he was so sick of dealing with mister high and mighty. He just wanted to see that snot-nosed bastard crack just once. 

Before Keith could think about what he was doing he shoved his tray of food away and stood with a loud screech from his chair. Hunk tried to grab his hand to stop him, talk some sense into him maybe, but Keith was already on a warpath. He wasn't stupid enough to start a fight- at least not somewhere so public- but he wasn't going to put up with James fucking Griffin and his stone-cold assholery for one more second. No, he just wanted to see the bootlicking prince finally fall off his high horse. 

"What do you want, Keith?" Griffin asked and he didn't even have the balls to look up from his food. What a coward. All it did was make Keith seethe. He got even more frustrated when he realized he never thought of what to say, what might get under Griffin's skin so badly that it would make him flinch. He hadn't thought at all and now he was just standing there like a fool. Griffin opened his mouth to ask the same question again but Keith cut him off with the first thing that popped into his head. Something to throw him off. Something to shock the attitude right out of him.

"I like you."

The words tumbled out of Keith's mouth in such a rush that he barely understood what was coming out of his own mouth. "I hate you" would have just made Griffin roll his eyes and call him childish, so saying the opposite would throw Griffin off, maybe reveal some homophobic bias Keith could hold against him. Or He just made himself look like an even bigger dumbass because of his own temper. He should have thought of this beforehand. 

But it didn't matter the next second because Griffin dropped his fork on the table with a clatter and his whole body went rigid. His eyes went wide, mouth fell open and there- right there, Keith wished he had a camera to capture the moment when James Griffin's picture-perfect facade cracked. The weasel looked more like a deer caught in headlights and Keith reveled in it. No one else could hear them, the mess hall was so loud. 

James stood up suddenly and grabbed Keith by the arm before tugging him out of the room, shoulders hunched and his head down. Keith gave only a short protest before following. If Griffin wanted a fight, fine by him. Keith had been itching to hit something all day. And if that something got to be Griffin's face then even better. 

They walked all the way from the mess hall to the simulation deck. Since it was time for lunch, no one would be there. Hand still clamped around Keith's arm, Griffin closed the door behind them and punched in a code. So, he knew how to lock the door? Probably a perk from kissing the instructor's ass all day. 

He still hadn't turned to look back at Keith, but Keith could see how his hands were balled into fists at his side, how his head was scrunched down between his shoulders. The tips of his ears were bright red. Maybe Griffin was angry, offended that Keith had put him on the spot in public. Good. The angrier, the better. As soon as Keith's arm was set free, he readied himself for a punch, a kick, anything.

"Did you mean it?"

Except that. 

"Huh?" 

Finally, Griffin turned to face Keith and he was... smiling? Griffin could smile? He was smiling this awkward, lopsided grin that made his eyes crinkled in a weird way. He'd never smiled like that before. Keith suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. 

"You said you liked me. Did you mean it?" 

Oh. 

Oh no. 

Keith felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. Griffin wasn't angry, or disgusted, or even a touch pissed off. Those closed fists weren't out of frustration, he was _nervous_. The ugly redness in his cheeks was a blush. James Griffin was blushing and looking at him with this vulnerable, hopeful expression. Keith's words came back to the front of his mind like a slap to the face. _I like you_. He'd told Griffin he liked him and now had to face the reality of what that actually meant. What _Griffin_ thought that meant. He didn't like Griffin, but apparently, Griffin liked _him_. And right now Keith had the power to absolutely destroy Griffin's heart with a swift dose of the truth. He hadn't confessed any feelings, he'd just said it as a cruel tactic to make Griffin lose his composure and it had worked in the worst possible way. 

He couldn't just say _no_. 

If he said no, that he didn't actually mean it... God, he was already a huge asshole, he didn't want to verbally admit it. 

"I- uh." His tongue felt three sizes too big and his brain was working ten steps behind. He felt like an absolute asshole. So, maybe it was that guilt that pushed him to answer. Or maybe it was the fact that Griffin looked so hopeful like everything was riding on Keith's answer. "Yeah." 

Griffin's crooked smile nearly doubled in size; he was practically beaming and Keith was totally unprepared to deal with a happy James Griffin. He would have been much happier with an angry, feral Griffin who wanted to punch him. Keith felt like he was walking through a lion's den with the words 'bite me' painted on his chest, whereas Griffin looked like he could float with relief.

"I really like you too, I've been-" James' heartfelt confession was blessedly cut off by the sound of the door being unlocked and opened. The cadets leaped away from each other (when had they gotten so close?) so fast Griffin nearly fell backward on his own ass. 

"What are you two doing in here?" Shiro demanded, using his important teacher voice, and Keith had never been so happy to see his mentor. 

"I- I- We just-" James stuttered and it was embarrassingly obvious he'd never had to lie before. What a stick in the mud. Keith stepped forward.

"Griffin said he could beat my simulation record from yesterday, I was planning to give him a rematch." It wasn't the first time Keith had given a little white lie to get out of a tight spot, and with their track record, it was more than believable. Griffin stared at him with a look of... wonder? Keith tried not to think about it.

Shiro's gaze flicked between the two of them before he sighed and shook his head. He'd taken the lie. "Well, your rematch will have to wait. I have a seminar in here in ten minutes, so unless you want Admiral Sanda as your judge then-"

"We're sorry, commander Shirogane!" Griffin blurted out and Keith barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We'll be going now!" Before James could scurry off like a frightened mouse, he turned to Keith with the most hopeful expression it was almost pathetic. "Can you come to meet me at my dorm?" He asked and Keith's mouth was moving before he could stop it.  
"I have a class." Another lie. Griffin didn't blink at it twice. Keith hated him for that. 

"After then?" When had Griffen gotten a set of puppy dog eyes? 

"S-sure." That seemed to satisfy any anxiety Griffin had because his shoulders relaxed considerably and his nervous pout turned... oh god... he looked _giddy._ Why did he have to look so damn excited? Who killed Griffin and left behind this freakish clone? Because there was no explanation other than murder and cloning, surely. 

"I'll see you then." Griffin turned on a heel and rushed out of the room with another hurried apology to their superior officer. Meanwhile, Keith was wondering how many screws he had to tamper with to have a simulation pod fall on him. Probably not many, the pods were all ancient. He barely recognized when his legs started moving him towards the door. 

"You okay, Keith?" Shiro asked softly once Griffin was out of earshot. He really did have a soft spot for the kid, as Adam was constantly reminding him. But the concern was justified when it was Keith and James. If those two were alone then there was almost always a fight, today being the only exception. Keith couldn't stop staring at his feet as he shuffled out of the simulation deck. He was meeting Griffin at his dorm later today to do... something? Talk? Make promise rings? The thought of it made him want to gag.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He most certainly was not fine. 

Keith had always thought he and Griffin were meant to be enemies. He'd been convinced that they were soulmates in the most volatile form. 

Apparently, the feeling was not mutual.


	2. Garrison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith talks with some important people.

Keith hated the Garrison. Not the entire Garrison, of course. He loved Shiro andante flying. Plus finding friends in Lance, Hunk, and Pidge was something he never expected but cherished anyway. No, what Keith hated was the way things were structured. Everything had limitations and those limitations had limitations depending on your grades and who you hung around. Keith was always the problem student, the wild card, the student all the instructors gave up on before they even met him because he was "gifted" a position at the Garrison. He wasn't a straight-A student in terms of tests and class participation, but he more than earned his place with his simulation scores. Flying came easy, no matter what stupid test the Garrison threw at him. 

But flight simulations were only part of the curriculum. A very small part. The rest involved incredibly long and dull classes by instructors who picked favorites and didn't feel ashamed showing it. Keith wasn't a favorite. Sure, he was Shiro's but if Shiro wasn't teaching then what did it matter? (James Griffin was every instructor's favorite. They sang his praises every chance they got, even when everyone else was doing the same damn thing. Maybe one of the reasons Keith couldn't stand the guy was because he couldn't stop hearing about him. No matter what he did, Keith couldn't stop hearing about the boring Golden Boy). At least Adam tolerated him enough to cut him some slack, though Keith had a sneaking suspicion that Shiro had something to do with that. 

The only bearable thing about the Garrison classes was that they weren't like high school or college. You didn't get a grueling schedule that took you from the early morning into the afternoon. Individual class schedules changed based on weekly needs, so instructors would often hold classes in the early morning and save the afternoon for meetings and practical exams. Around the end of the year, around finals, most instructor's didn't even bother holding class, they'd just send cadets to the simulation decks. That was Keith's favorite time of the year, when he could climb into a simulator for hours and just lose himself in the dream of flying so high he wouldn't be able to see the earth below. Flying was in his blood, he was sure. His father had always told him that he was destined to ride alongside the stars. But those were goals too far off to think about. 

There were much bigger problems to deal with now. Primarily a problem with the initials J.G.

Keith had decided to spend his fake class time panicking with Lance. He could have gone to Shiro, but he didn't feel like a lecture and if he went to Hunk then he would get all nervous and guilt trip Keith to the ends of the earth. Pidge wouldn't get involved even if Keith tried to ask her for help. 

So in the last thirty minutes, Keith had barged into Lance's dorm, broke into the stash of snacks under his bed and told him everything. 

"You're telling me that Griffin, the bane of your existence, likes you?" Lance was pacing back and forth with his hands flailing all over the place- a stark contrast to Keith sitting on the bed in a ball, only moving to shove more chips into his mouth. "And you said you liked him _back?_"

"Technically, I said I liked him and he said he liked me back." Lance rounded on him, still pacing, but now he was pacing between the edge of the bed and the opposite wall. 

"But you _don't_ like him." 

"_I know!_" As if it hadn't been obvious, Keith spent much of the time he was in Griffin's presence complaining about said presence. Lance had heard almost forty-two different ways Keith wanted to knock Griffin on his scrawny ass. There was an alphabetical list with color-coded categories by now.

"Okay, I have an idea. Quick fix. It'll solve everything!" Lance's pacing suddenly stopped and he got the same look on his face as that always made Hunk nervous. Besides everything else that made Hunk nervous. 

"Jumping out a window?" Keith already knew the perfect spot at the top of one of the communication towers. 

"No, that's plan C," Lance answered immediately. Keith had been only half-joking but now he was slightly worried about what plans A and B were. He didn't like where this was heading.

"Date him." Yep. Keith didn't like it. "Go on, like, three dates. Four at the max. Then break up!" Lance stopped his pacing and leaped onto the bed. Keith continued eating his chips. "You've never actually hung out before, so take the few dates, get him to buy you a fancy dinner out and then say it isn't working. People do it all the time!" 

"That... actually isn't a terrible idea." The more Keith thought about it, the better it sounded. Griffin never had to know he lied. All he had to do was put up with the guy for a few days, a week at most, and then call it all off. Griffin would get his relationship and Keith could walk out with a clean conscience. Everybody won. Maybe Keith would never be able to look at Griffin for the rest of his life, but that was such a tiny price to pay. In fact, that sounded more like a reward. 

"I'd say it's a brilliant idea. I accept payment in the form of cash or check." Lance leaned over and snatched a few chips from the bag. Keith didn't argue with him, they were Lance's after all. But something was still bothering him. 

"What if he wants to... do stuff." Keith was no saint, but he wasn't so desperate to get some action that he'd be able to go through with anything... intimate. Lance shrugged one shoulder and grabbed for more chips- only to find the bag empty so he leaned over the side of his bed o get a new bag. 

"Tell him no. Just because he likes you doesn't mean he's gonna jump your bones the second you're alone." Not that Lance had any idea. He had even less interaction wit James than Keith did. "I know the guy's annoying as hell, but I doubt he's some kind of predator." That was a fair point. As annoying as Griffin was, and that was already enough to deal with, he hardly seemed like the aggressive type. Though Keith was so sure that Griffin hated his guts so any opinion he had might as well get flushed down the drain. 

"How much longer do you think I can stall?" He'd already spent so much time just wandering the halls before coming to Lance and no more classes were going on for the rest of the day. Keith had run out of fake excuses. 

"Before Griffin thinks you stood him up? I'd say ten minutes, twenty max." Lance tried to flick a chip into the air and catch it in his mouth but it just bounced off his forehead. He promptly ignored his failure. "Dude's probably got the schedule for every class memorized and is counting the seconds until you get there- what if he gives you a tardy slip?" 

Keith rolled his eyes at the suggestion. He never gave James a specific time... Which probably meant he was counting down the seconds, dammit. With one more huff, Keith rolled off the bed and straightened out his uniform. He ignored Lance's whining as crumbs cascaded onto the bed. Laundry day was coming up soon so the sheets would live. 

"Guess I'm going then." To his fake boyfriend/impending doom. The distinction between the two was getting blurrier and blurrier. As Keith made his way out of the dorm and down the hall he heard Lance calling after him. 

"Go get him, cowboy!"

Keith didn't feel reassured in the slightest. 

_-_-_-_-_-_

After wasting fifteen minutes walking up and down random halls, there was a revelation. Keith had thought that with a plan in mind, this would all be a breeze. He pretended to not fall asleep in his aeronautics class every week, so pretending to like Griffin wouldn't be much harder. 

It, apparently, was going to be _much_ harder. 

As soon as Keith knocked on the door, it opened, like Griffin had been waiting on the other side like a psycho. Then again, if someone Keith liked told him they'd come around at a vague time like "later", he might have gotten a little impatient too. Maybe. He definitely wouldn't have been as creepy as Griffin, though. 

"Hi." Griffin greeted, slightly breathless. Had he run across the room? Christ, Keith knew he had a crush but didn't this count as an obsession? Or maybe that wasn't the right word. Either way, it wasn't cute. But he had a plan and he was gonna see it through no matter what. The closer he stuck to the plan the faster this nightmare would be over. 

"Hey," Keith replied and glanced over Griffin's shoulder to peer into the room. Even from outside, he could tell it was obnoxiously clean. He could see the crisp lines of the cadet's perfectly made bed from where he was standing and he held back a roll of his eyes. What a nerd. After a few more agonizing seconds of silence, Keith spoke up again. "You wanna let me in or do you wanna talk in the hallway?"

"Oh!" Griffin leaped away from the door so fast Keith was shocked he didn't hurt himself. For a future fighter pilot, he sure was jumpy. Maybe just scaring him in the mess hall would have been better. Keith made a mental note of that for the future.

After he stepped inside (and resisted the urge to whimper when the door closed behind him) they both sat down on the bed. Well, James sat first and Keith was sort of forced to follow. He gave the room a small once over now that he was properly inside. It was a standard dorm room with a bed, small dresser, desk, and a chair. Keith would have loved to sit in the desk chair and put as much distance between them as possible but Griffin had sat on the edge of the bed, purposefully leaving enough room for two. So Keith had no choice but to take up the offered space. He would deny it, but Keith might have sat down a little harder than necessary just to mess up the nicely made bed. Not to be petty or anything, definitely not. Though maybe it was best to just sit on the bed. He was supposed to like Griffin, right? He should act like he actually wanted to be around him. 

"So... We like each other." Griffin started, sounding hopeful and awkward and so goddamn shy. Keith wished that it didn't make his skin itch with guilt. This would have been so much simpler if Griffin acted like a dick about it. No, he just had to sound soft. What a bastard. 

"Looks like we do." Lies, all lies. Just hearing himself say it made Keith feel sick. He had agreed twice now, there was no way he could back out of this. Not that he would have anyway but he still felt like crap because of it. The only choice he had was to push forward. "So, what now?" He asked with a quick sideways glance in James' direction. He expected to hear some kind of romantic itinerary, all the weird dates James had planned and all the week-versaries he would have to buy presents for. Griffin looked ahead at nothing in particular for a few tense seconds before he shrugged his shoulders. 

"I don't know." That was unexpected. 

"Aren't you always the guy at the front of the class with four copies of the syllabus and a backup plan for everything?" Keith asked incredulously. There wasn't a single issue in this school that Griffin didn't shove himself in the middle of so he could solve it. If he couldn't use his typical "listen to our superior officers" as an answer then he was always able to pull something out of his ass. Keith remembered how one girl had snapped her pen by accident and stained her entire uniform and Griffin had pulled out a fucking bleach stick and spare shirt for her to borrow until she could go back to her room. What kind of person carried around a spare uniform top in their bag when they had their dorm? Keith never watched Mary Poppins as a kid but he was sure that Griffin had the same kind of bag she used, only instead of umbrellas and toy ships he stuffed a closet worth of uniforms and office supplies. 

"Yeah, for class." James ducked his head, embarrassed. Good, he was a dork. "I never thought I would get this far with you."

"Oh." Apparently, lying through his teeth also made Keith incredibly articulate. What was he supposed to say to that? Because he didn't think he would ever get this far with Griffin either. Suddenly, James straightened up and turned to face Keith with that same, gross, giddy smile. 

"But I'm still really happy." That made one of them, at least. 

Without much of a warning, Griffin reached out his hand and brushed his fingers against Keith's. Keith couldn't help it. 

He flinched. 

"I..." _I don't like you. I didn't mean to make you think I do. I'm leading you on. I never wanted to be here..._ "I've never done this before." It was scary how quickly Keith was taking to lying. That excuse barely took him a second to think up. Griffin seemed surprised, but he did pull his hand away which made Keith relax a little. 

"You've never dated anyone before?" Is that what this was? Were they dating? Keith nodded his head. At least that wasn't a lie. Between all the home-hopping and working hard not to be expelled after Shiro had worked so hard to get him into the Garrison, Keith hadn't found much time for dating. Not that there was anyone he wanted to date anyway. 

"Okay..." Griffin trailed off, pursing his lips in thought. "I've dated before and had flings, but you're the first guy who's liked me back-" Huh, another detail about James Griffin that Keith never thought he'd learn. The bastard had gotten around. Who would've thought? Griffin scooted closer, just a little, but didn't reach to take Keith's hand again. "So, maybe we could take this slow? Baby steps."

That, without a doubt, was the best thing Keith had heard all day. Slow. Stupidly slow. So slow that Keith could wiggle in some issues into the relationship and then break things off like any newly budding romance. No one would suspect a thing and as long as Lance kept his mouth shut then no one would ever know. Perfect. 

"I'd like that." Keith would like it even more if he could just say farewell and never look in Griffin's direction again, but he had to be patient. Shiro would kill him if he knew that Keith was using that phrase for this purpose. No, Shiro would die of a broken heart; Adam would be the one to kill him. Patience yields focus was supposed to be about keeping Keith's anger in check, not stringing on a classmate. The more Keith thought about it, the worse he felt. 

"Slow it is then." James sounded so content, so happy. He didn't mind at all that Keith was putting the brakes on things after all that time pining. Keith had expected him to argue just a little bit- but no. His hand looked like it was itching to touch him again but he restrained himself because Keith asked him to. So maybe in a few days, James would let him go just as easily.

Keith wasn't looking forward to that day nearly as much as he was.


	3. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and James go on their first date!

For the next three days, James kept his word. They took things slow, so slow that it was almost like nothing had happened. They didn’t hold hands, or kiss, or anything like that. Keith had expected Griffin to follow him around like a loyal puppy but that didn’t happen either. Hell, he barely even looked at Keith compared to how he used to. It was nice, if not a little weird. He’d gotten so used to being annoyed by Griffin that is was strange to not have him lurking around. Well, no. That wasn’t exactly true. Sure, James wasn’t his old stalker-is self but now he was even bolder. Every morning, Griffin would find Keith in the mess hall or corridor, give him a greeting and ask how his night had been, how he was doing. He was so polite about it, it was kind of gross. Keith didn’t realize how little he actually spoke to James until he was forced into small talk every. Damn. Day. Apparently arguing never counted as an actual conversation.

On the fourth day since Keith’s “confession”, James cornered him in the mess hall during dinner.

“Hi,” James announced himself, alone despite typically having his little posse of friends. Not that Keith was any better at the moment, Hunk and Pidge had stayed behind to finish a project for class, which left only Lance sitting across from him at the table. He made a mental note of how Lance hadn’t given him a warning this time. 

“Hey,” Keith replied. After the second day, it had gotten easier for Keith to talk to Griffin and not immediately expect the worst. Though at this point he didn’t know what “worst” meant anymore. 

“Do you mind if I sit here?” Griffin pointed to the empty chair beside Keith and he couldn’t help but think this was… new. As much as James liked to talk and strike up a stiff conversation, there was always an unspoken boundary line. James stuck with his group and Keith with his; there was no need for mingling and Keith was happy to keep it that way. That being said, he wouldn’t turn James away if he actually liked him, so he pushed the chair out with the toe of his boot without a word. As soon as James sat down, Lance stood up with an obnoxious screech of his own chair. 

“I think I saw they had pudding cups. I’m gonna go snag one. You kids have fun!” He was skipping away before Keith could call him back, leaving him and James alone. Keith grimly wondered when his best friend had turned into a traitor. He was supposed to back Keith up with stuff like this! It was his idea, after all. James remained oblivious to the betrayal. 

“What are you doing this weekend?” Students weren’t allowed many liberties, but when finals and exams weren’t on everyone’s mind, weekends were left at their disposal. Not that there was anywhere to go unless you had your own transportation. 

“Nothing,” Keith answered, still too busy staring after Lance-the-disloyal to understand where the question was leading. He did, however, notice how James visibly perked up. 

“Would you like to go out this Saturday? With me?” He added the last bit like it wasn’t already obvious. Keith arched a brow. 

“You mean like a date?” They never really spoke about dates when they were in James’ room but he must have been thinking about it a whole lot since his mouth contorted into a very serious frown. Maybe determined? Keith personally thought he looked like a ferret.

“Yes.” The word came out short and abrupt and Keith must have made a face because James’ voice immediately softened. “I would like to take you out on a date- if you wanted to?”

Did Keith want to? Hell no. Dealing with Griffin within Garrison walls was hard enough when he had the excuses of classes and friends. A date meant it would be just the two of them for an undetermined amount fo time with no chance for escape until it was over. Well, Keith could aways escape out a bathroom window, but it would be pretty awkward the next time they would be in class together. Plus, as far as James knew, Keith _wanted_ to date him. Dating meant dates.

“What did you have in mind?”

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Of all the possibilities, Keith had expected something along the lines of going to an old museum exhibit or seeing a movie that was too complicated to actually enjoy. Something boring and stuck-up, like James. Maybe he'd drag Keith to an overpriced restaurant where everyone would stare at him for not having nice enough clothes. Either way, Keith planned on hating whatever James suggested and was halfway to resigning himself to his fate.  
  
That being said, maybe he should have given James a little more credit because an arcade wasn't nearly as awful as it could have been. 

It was one of those arcades that were geared more towards young adults than kids, though there were some kiddie games for families. It was a Saturday night, so the place was pretty crowded, not like Keith had expected it to be, but there was a decent crowd. It was just very strange to be in such a loud and bustling building after spending weeks trapped in the Garrison halls. And with James Griffin, no less. But he wasn't nearly as annoying as Keith expected either. Though he attributed that to the fact that as soon as Keith walked in and got his tokens, he bolted for the nearest game. The more they focused on playing then the less they had to actually interact. James didn't seem to mind, he happily went along and played beside Keith. There was minimal chatting and that was perfectly fine. The first hour of the date flew by like that and Keith was relieved to find that it was pretty decent, hell, he'd go so far as to say it was okay. 

Plus, there was a functioning restaurant and bar, so they could eat there without the threat of having to go to another place for dinner. No secondary locations. 

Around the hour and a half mark, James suggested they get something to drink before they spent any more tokens and they walked to the bar area together. They still weren't legal, only 19, but Keith had no intention of seeing a drunk James Griffin at any point in his life.   
They ended up getting sodas and leaning up against the steel railing that separated the bar area from the play area. Keith sipped his drink in silence and watched a pair of ten years olds trying to figure out a whack-a-mole style game. However, he eventually felt a pair of eyes on him and he sighed. 

“You’re staring.” James ducked his head and looked away. Had he thought he was being subtle? Even Lance had more restraint. 

“I guess I’m still not sure this is real.” James admitted with that small smile that Keith was getting used to seeing all the time. And, listen, Keith liked to think he was decent looking, but not so much that someone would dream of dating him. It just seemed so overdramatic. He wasn’t some fantasy. So while Jame was still looking away, Keith reached out to him. 

“It just feels too good to be- _OW!_” Keith pulled his hand back. “Did you just pinch me?”

“Still think I’m not real?” Pinching was childish, but Keith was just grounding James in reality. If anything, he was doing him a favor. 

“You _pinched_ me!” With James squawking at him and looking so scandalized, it was impossible for Keith not to laugh. He didn’t even mind when James smacked his shoulder. It didn’t hurt, James had a pretty weak punch. 

“But now you know I’m here, don’t you?” He was definitely gonna have a tiny bruise to prove it later. James rubbed his arm with a small pout on his face. 

“Guess so.” They fell into a bout of silence, the sound of ringing and laughter flying the space between them. Keith didn’t know what to say now; how was he supposed to keep the conversation going? It wasn’t like there was a manual for all this. Luckily, James took the chance to keep talking and spared Keith from thinking of something. 

“I’m glad you said something that day. I don’t know if I ever would have had the guts to tell you.” That didn’t sound like James at all. Usually, he had no issues blurting out his thoughts during class.

“What, was I that scary?” Keith asked. James shook his head and didn’t bring his gaze up. 

“No, but I was sure you hated me.” Oh. Whoops. “Anytime we talked, it was a fight, so I just… It never seemed like a good idea to tell you. Which is why I’m really happy you did it.”

If Keith didn’t know any better, he would be sure that James knew and this was all an elaborate set up to kill him with guilt. It was that stupid smile that made Keith’s stomach twist. How could someone so annoying look soft? It wasn’t fair. 

“Well,” Keith started, and this time it was him who had to look away. Convenient, since it looked like he was just shy to James when it was really his growing guilty conscience. “Had to get you to stop staring at me somehow.” It wasn’t a lie. That really had been Keith’s intention. He just wanted James to lay off, it just hadn’t worked out like he had hoped. He was too busy avoiding eye contact to notice the way James flushed a brilliant pink. 

“Was I really that obvious?” Keith couldn’t help how he snorted in amusement. 

“Yeah. Lance even calls you Hawkeye ‘cause you won’t stop staring at me during meals.” And as awkward as the date was, it was totally worth it to hear James groan in embarrassment. “You asked.”

“I’m so sorry.” It looked like James was trying to curl in on himself until he ceased to exist. His hands covered his face but Keith could clearly see the way the other boy’s ears burned red. He’d never seen James look so embarrassed. It was actually kind of funny. Just to see how far he could go, Keith gave James’ shoulder a nudge.

“So what? You thought I was so pretty you couldn’t keep your eyes off me?” It was a joke- just something silly to make James whine and try to hide again. Maybe it was mean but Keith started this mess to see James lose his cool and he was finally getting what he wanted, dammit! He was entitled to this. 

However, instead of turning away like the embarrassed title coward he was, James pulled his hands away from his face and looked Keith square in the eyes. “Yeah. Still do.”

Oh. 

Well. 

Alright then. 

Keith had to talk to Lance on how to accept a compliment because he was so bad at this. His mouth snapped shut so fast he could hear the click of his own teeth. James thought he was _pretty?_ Guys weren't supposed to be pretty and Keith felt like he was anything but. Handsome, sure, but pretty? That was a stretch. Keith stammered when he realized James was staring at him now, expecting some kind of response. 

"Oh. Uh- thanks. I guess. Never really expected a guy to think I was pretty." It was a compliment though, right? James was a snob, so his standards were naturally high. If Keith was good looking enough for even James to notice, that had to mean something positive. Despite Keith's internal self-image debate, James grinned. 

"I'm not the only one. Plenty of people think you're pretty- it annoyed the hell out of me at first." It sounded to Keith like James had been jealous and that was interesting enough to make Keith lean in a bit. 

"Annoyed you? So my good looks didn't make you fall at first sight?" That was a thing, right? Lance could fall for a person at the drop of a hat, so maybe James was the same. Or... Maybe that was just a Lance thing. Either way, the question was funny enough to make James laugh. Not a full-bellied laugh like Hunk's or the banshee screech that came out of Lance. It was a small little giggling noise that made the cadet's nose scrunch up and his eyes crinkle. It wouldn't have been so disarming except Keith had never heard James laugh before. It wasn't even like Keith had really made a joke, but maybe James was the type to laugh easily? He hadn't ever noticed before. In the back of his mind, Keith figured he should find out what James' real laugh sounded like. For research, of course. Evidence. For what? Keith had no clue, but it was a different reason besides 'I want to hear him laugh again' and that was enough for him. 

"No. I kind of hated your guts." And there it was. That was the James Griffin Keith knew and detested. Keith hadn't been crazy when he thought James hated him, he just didn't notice when that apparently changed. He wasn't even sure he wanted to find out, but James continued on talking. "In middle school, we didn't speak after we first met. But I always hated how you never really put in any effort and still were top of the class. It was always like that and then when you got into the Garrison... I just always thought it was unfair and the fact that you never really seemed to give a shit pissed me off even more." That wasn't really fair, Keith put in plenty of effort- just enough to get by. And he had more important things to worry about than geometry and history. Not that he needed to explain any of that to James. So he said nothing and waited for the rest of the explanation. 

"I guess things started to change after that first week in our second year at the Garrison." Keith tried to remember if anything had changed back then- it had only been a handful of years, they were almost graduates now. He couldn't remember anything specific unless James meant...?

"The first week. James, we got into that fight." 

"Yeah."

"I _punched_ you."

"I know." Had he hit him harder than anyone realized? Had he received brain damage? That had to be the reason because Keith didn't know about anyone catching feelings from a sharp right hook. 

"So, you've got a thing for almost getting your nose broken?" Keith asked seriously because he was genuinely worried about James having some kind of pain fetish and he was not about to deal with that shit. Nope. Absolutely not. James flushed and quickly shook his head. 

"No!" Thank god. "I just- after that fight, I started noticing you more outside of class and... I realized I was wrong." If only Keith had his phone set to record that moment. He would have listened to it on repeat for the rest of his life. "And I never apologized to you for what I said. So, I'm sorry."

Keith stared at James for a long moment, taking it in and trying to figure out what he was supposed to say. Did Keith forgive him? Kind of, yeah. At least, he'd stopped caring about that day years ago. After he knocked James down and went off with Shiro, he had forgotten all about it. Apparently, James had been holding onto this guilt for years and Keith didn't feel nearly as pleased with that fact as he thought he should be. 

"You know, most people apologize for shitty things _before_ they take a guy on a date." Keith offered by way of his answer. There was nothing left to forgive, it was in the past and they were both way too old to be dwelling on mean words they said when they were 14. James' lips pursed for a moment before he smiled and Keith felt a weight lift off his shoulders that he hen' realized was there. He took a big gulp of his soda to keep himself from saying anything else. 

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" It was easing, Keith knew it, which was totally not cool because they were having a serious moment.   
"If you buy the next round of sodas and admit to the whole Garrison that you're the one who stole all the apple cider from the commissary at last year's fall banquet." That had actually been Pidge and Hunk, but James didn't need to know that. 

"Absolutely not!" If there was one thing that Keith hadn't been wrong about when it came to James, it was his dedication to his reputation.

"Can't handle it?" Keith clicked his tongue in disappointment. "And here I thought you'd be up to the task. You're second in the class, it's not like you'd get in trouble now." James rolled his eyes and Keith pushed it just a little further. "Just when I was starting to think you had a personality, Griffin."

"Yeah, well... I guess I'm really good at not meeting expectations." James' smile fell and his eyes darkened as he looked off at some random spot at the other end of the arcade. His mouth pressed into a thin line and his shoulders slumped and Keith immediately panicked. Okay, he'd crossed a line- that much was obvious and now he had consequences that he was not ready for. Dealing with a pissed off James was easy and, hell, dealing with a lovestruck James was getting tolerable, but a sad James? Tears? Keith hadn't meant to hurt his feelings and was even less equipped for that than anything he'd had to deal with tonight. Keith couldn't support his best friends when they were in a rough spot, let alone his fake not-date.

"Bet I could kick your ass in skee ball?" He challenged with a nudge to James' shoulder. They used to compete all the time, right? It would be just like old times. James looked confused for a second, maybe surprised, but then he smirked and that gloomy cloud blew away as fast as it had come. 

"I'll take that bet because you're dead wrong." The next second, James was standing pushing himself away from the railing to head towards the skee ball lanes and Keith was quick to follow. He seemed to forget all about whatever had been bothering him by the time he started sliding his tokens into the coin slot, now totally focused on the game. Good, crisis averted. Keith got his own tokens and took his place at the lane next to James. He had some pretty scrawny looking arms and Keith figured his aim was probably shit. James was a math and science guy, while Keith was more physically inclined. Brain curses brawn in a throwing contest. Easy win. 

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

It was not, in fact, an easy win. After five rounds and all of their tokens spent, Keith had well and truly gotten his ass handed to him. 

And seeing James laugh and jump around at his own victory was annoying. Definitely annoying and Keith definitely didn't laugh with him. Nope. 

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"I had a lot of fun tonight." James said as he walked Keith back to his dorm, later hat night. He could have walked by himself but James insisted. His gentlemanly morals wouldn't stand for it and Keith didn't feel like arguing with him. He was tired and just wanted to turn in before the decent evening turned sour with too much talking. Still, Keith offered a small smile. 

"Yeah, it was nice." Even Keith could admit that the night had gone well. He and James didn't get in a fight and Keith managed to keep up the charade, all while getting out of the Garrison grounds for a few hours. 

"Even though I destroyed you in skee ball?" Keith's smile quickly dropped into a scowl and he stubbornly kept his eyes forward.

"You didn't destroy shit, Griffin. I let you win, obviously." Sure Keith sucked ass but he wasn't about to let James have the satisfaction of hearing it out loud. Keith might be a dirty, no-good liar but he did have some dignity left. He didn't have to look to know James didn't believe him at all. 

"So you throwing the ball so hard you almost cracked the guard panel was you letting me win? Weird method, Kogane." No, what was weird was to hear his name come out of James' mouth and sound so... soft, playful even. That's what was weird, not Keith being a sore loser. Which he wasn't. 

"Yeah, well- I still got a higher score on the racer game."

"You got a head start!" James squeaked before ducking his head down and looking around nervously. It had taken them a while to get back to base, so it was prettily close to curfew. Not that they would really get in trouble, but that was one stick that wasn't leaving James' ass anytime soon. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." Keith dismissed easily and his footsteps slowed down to a stop when he noticed his dorm number. "This is me." Huh. The way had gone faster than he expected. He glanced over when he noticed the other cadet had stopped a foot behind him, but he wasn't looking at Keith. James looked behind himself and Keith figured he was looking for any superiors who might get mad at them for being out past curfew but when he turned back around, his cheeks were pink. 

"There's no one around." He stated dumbly and Keith looked up and down the hallway himself because he thought that was pretty damn obvious. 

"Yeah, it is." He agreed slowly and watched James cautiously. He was starting to recognize that look that James was starting to get on his face and he wasn't sure where it was going to lead this time. Didn't people usually wait a day or two before planning a second date? Wasn't there a rule against rushing things. It took a few false starts with James opening and closing his mouth like a fish before he finally spit it out.

"Can I kiss you?" 

The question was so simple but Keith still felt like he'd had his legs swept out from under him anyway. Kiss? Now? It was only the first date! Keith had planned on suffering through some lip-lock after a week of dates, or something like that. Ideally, he would have ended things with James before kissing ever turned into an option. 

Keith realized, quite quickly, that James had probably wanted to kiss him all night. He'd been staring at Keith and getting close. Hell, he probably planned on it happening during the date. Now he had Keith cornered with no witnesses and no escape except to run into his room and blow his cover. James would know something was wrong if Keith bolted. Maybe that was his plan? Had he known Keith was lying and now wanted to get back at him? Call him out? But that would be better with witnesses and James didn't... He didn't look like he suspected a thing. He was just staring at Keith with his big doe eyes, hands glued to his sides. He was expecting an answer. Keith _had_ to give an answer. 

"N... Not tonight." The words come out stiff, even to his own ears. He could say that right? No didn't automatically mean suspicion. Plus, kissing seemed like a line he wasn't ready to cross. Too much intimacy and too much.... it was just all too much. He wasn't going there. Not yet. Not ever, probably, and that was for the best. 

James, even though he had just looked like he was about to fall to the floor, straightened up and kept his expression perfectly still. He didn't even look disappointed, just matter-of-fact. Keith didn't know if that was any better, but then James' mouth tilted into a small, embarrassed smile and he took a decided step backward. 

"Okay, that's fine. I'll see you at lunch then?" He asked like he hadn't just been rejected affection, and all Keith could do was nod his head dumbly. "Great! I'll see you then. Goodnight, Keith." James turned on a heel and started heading for what Keith assumed was his own dorm. He didn't even get a chance to reply, but Keith didn't think his mouth would work well enough to do that anyway. So he waited until James was out of sight down the hall and there was no chance of him turning back around.

Keith slipped into his room and automatically fell into bed after kicking off his boots. James hadn't touched him at all, but his stomach still churned unpleasantly even though he'd done the right thing! He hadn't kissed James and made him think things could progress further and Keith had kept himself from digging himself a deeper hole to crawl out of. Sure, James was probably sad and thinking he did something wrong, but this was all for the best. And he probably kissed terribly. Keith had only kissed a few people in his life, but he was almost positive that James would be a bad kisser. Too stiff and too formal. It would have probably been boring and he would have been forced to take charge when he wasn't even into it. Keith dodged a bullet by saying no. 

Still. 

What if he'd said yes?


	4. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James gets a call from home and Keith gets a little softer

After their little arcade stunt, James got bolder and dates became more frequent. There were always a few days of buffer between them but Keith was getting used to the pattern of a two or three-day break before James came to him with another suggestion in mind. Keith almost always said yes, though there was one time where he had to say no because he had promised to meet with Shiro and he was not giving up that precious time with his mentor. Other than that, he always agreed because there was no way he could constantly leave James hanging, not without raising suspicion. And the dates weren’t terrible, at least Keith always assumed they’d be so much worse than they actually were. 

There weren’t many opportunities to leave the Garrison but they did their best. They’d go to see a movie or check out the park in the center of the city. Unfortunately, James did end up dragging Keith to the museum, but they had a pretty cool light show in one of the exhibits. Not to mention they didn’t have to stop at any of the information plaques because James already seemed to know everything about every display and just talked the whole time. It could have been a lot worse and at least they got ice cream afterward, so it wasn’t a total loss. When leaving school property wasn’t an option, they made due. They would crash at James’ dorm to study or stream some random show on his laptop. Keith always made sure he didn’t stick around longer than a few hours and kept a healthy distance between them. Leave room for Jesus or some shit like that. 

So, yeah. After two and a half weeks, James and Keith were still, technically, dating. Which was… fine. It wasn’t like things were perfect, though. They still butted heads and got into petty arguments (like when James made the dumb assumption that Die Hard was a Christmas movie, or when he wouldn’t shut up about Keith not studying enough) but nothing so serious that they got into actual _fights_. Nothing that warranted throwing punches, which was a real shame because Keith would have loved to use that excuse early on to just end it all. That didn’t happen. So he was forced to suffer and vent his problems to Lance, which really wasn’t all that great but he had very limited options. 

It was either talk to Lance about his problems or face his problems head-on. So there was really only one choice which was why Keith was once again sitting with Lance in the cafeteria, discussing his plans for the evening. Lance, for all his romance-centric ideals, was about as helpful as a wet napkin. 

“Aaaand what date is this? Second?”

“Fifth.” Keith answered with a shrug of his shoulder. Lance, in his ever so subtle nature, choked on his apple juice. 

“Fifth?? Keith, no.”

“What?”

“There is a sacred rule of three.” Lance held up his fingers as if Keith really needed the visual. “Three! You don’t fuck the rule of three.”

“I didn’t fuck it!” Not that he believed in the “rules” but he would have denied Lance’s claim anyway.

“No, you’ve fucked it, and now you’ve abandoned it without paying child support.”

“Lance…” If there was one thing saving Lance from a smack upside the head, it was Hunk’s voice suddenly cutting through their conversation. A blessing for Lance but Keith wasn’t so sure he was saved. 

“I hear arguing, who’s dying?” Keeping true to his disloyal character, Lance jabbed his thumb in Keith’s direction. 

“He’s sealing his fate with date number four.”

“Oh damn, it’s getting serious. Should I start planning a wedding?" Pidge snickered as she plopped herself down next to Lance. After the second date, Keith had been forced to come clean to Hunk and Pidge, complete with ruthless teasing and a very disapproving lecture from Hunk. (“I trust you, man. But that was low, especially for you.” Those words haunted him for the rest of the night.) He’d almost gotten away with lying and claiming James approached him first, but Lance had cut him off right away and spilled everything. Keith didn’t get a chance to cover for himself. He hadn’t expected Lance to rat him out, but he hadn’t been willing to let Keith get away with mincing details. Keith was going down alone. Not that he could blame Lance. He’d been a good and supportive friend, but Keith had created this disaster all by himself.

“Guys, quit teasing.” Hunk cut in and Keith sighed with relief. Lance and Pidge were relentless without Hunk to act as a buffer, even if he was still disappointed in Keith’s choices. “Where are you guys going this time? Or is James keeping it a surprise again.” 

“It was Keith’s idea this time.” Lance blurted out unhelpfully and suddenly all eyes were on Keith. Busted. 

“Would you all stop staring? Christ, it’s not that big of a deal!” Keith crossed his arms over his chest defensively and shot Lance a glare. It did nothing to quell the growing smirk on his face. 

“Oh, yes it is, my smitten friend.” Keith snarled, but his own embarrassment took the bite out of it. 

“I am not smitten. James was complaining about the Garrison having shitty food and I just said we should go out and get an actual meal somewhere this weekend. That’s it.” There was a stretch of silence as the rest of his friends processed his incredibly valid explanation. He almost thought they would buy it until Pidge leaned in with a smirk. 

“Soooo, you’re going out to dinner? Instead of just ordering takeout and having it delivered off base? Sounds pretty smitten to me.” She concluded and if that wasn’t enough, Hunk and Lance both nodded their heads in agreement. He was not smitten, definitely not. He was doing what Lance told him to do and getting a nice meal out of James. He was working the system! There was nothing to be smitten over anyways. James was just as annoying as ever.

“You’re just jealous that I get to escape dinner at the Garrison while you’re left to suffer.” Keith shot back and was less than thrilled when Lance crowed. 

“That’s where you’re wrong, buddy. It’s the last Saturday of the month, so we’ll be living it up at Casa de Hunk with quesadillas. _You_ should be the jealous one.” Ever since they all started hanging out, it was a tradition of theirs to camp out in Hunk and Lance’s dorm, break out the portable skillet that Hunk somehow manufactured in his spare time and make some homemade food. It always ended up with them buying too many ingredients and making a huge mess, but Hunk put in that extra touch that the lunch ladies at the commissary just couldn’t compare to. If Keith wasn’t getting a nice meal off property, then he would have every right to be jealous. Pidge gave Lance a shove to the arm. 

“Quit making him feel bad. He’s already got to suffer through another night of punishment.” She joked but Keith didn’t see the humor in it. 

“Like you know anything.” He interjected and the table went quiet. Usually, Keith took the joking in stride and even added his own complaints to the mix but lately it had started getting old. Every day was another comment about Keith being forced into dates and how James was some consequence he had to deal with. It was all true, technically, but calling his dates a punishment just sounded stale at this point. 

Dates with James weren’t terrible, simple as that. It was nice to get off Garrison property more often and not get dragged along to the club with Lance. He was Keith’s best friend but holy hell was it exhausting to keep up with his social butterfly personality. Hunk balanced it out pretty well with his level-headedness, but once he got on some scientific theory kick with Pidge, they were almost just as tiring. With Lance, Keith could almost comprehend his insanity, but the techno-speak that “Team Punk” used was absolute gibberish. 

James was... calmer. Less manic and more grounded. He still talked too much but Keith didn’t feel like the world was spinning every time he opened his mouth. He talked about classes, about the latest testing the Garrison was starting and things like that. He didn’t mention his home life very often and neither did Keith. There wasn’t anything to talk about anyway. But James always had some comment to keep conversation going and he really did put in as much effort into their nights out as everything else in his life. There were times when it would get on Keith’s nerves, like when lapses of calm silence were shattered by small talk, but there were other times when it was almost... charming. They had debates on which band albums were superior and what movies could have been resolved within the first thirty minutes if one character wasn’t an idiot. Keith helped James on his simulator scores (not that he really needed help, Keith had a feeling the extra help was just an excuse to hang out) and James would offer help on Keith’s essays. At least Keith could say he was getting something out of it- but every time Keith thought of it like that, the guilt would start clawing at his chest because he _shouldn’t_ be getting anything out of it. 

Simply put: Dates with James were nice. They were really nice and Keith didn’t know if that was making the situation better or worse.

Pidge blew out a low whistle before lifting up her hands in surrender. 

“Well, somebody’s a little testy.” Lance snickered along until Hunk gave him a swift kick under the table. Keith tried not to be as happy about that as he was. 

“Oh, knock it off, you two.” Hunk shot Pidge and Lance a look before turning to face Keith a little better. “They’re just being jerks, but we’re all happy you and James are getting along.”

“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Pidge asked, alone in her teasing since Lance was still nursing his sore shin. That, however, was enough for Keith. 

“Aaand I’m done.” Pidge gaped as Keith pushed himself up from the table. 

“Where are you going?” It wasn’t like there was anywhere to go at this time of day but anything was better than getting blasted by the three stooges. 

“Lost my apatite.” Keith shot over his shoulder and walked out of the canteen. Maybe he could find Shiro and bug him for a half-hour or so. Unless he was on one of his “faculty meetings” with Adam. Calling them dates would be giving Shiro too much credit since he hadn’t even gotten the courage to ask Adam out yet. It was always “not the right time” or he was still waiting for some sign from god. It was all a bunch of excuses even though Shiro’s eyes turned to hearts every time Adam so much as walked in the room. At least Keith had the balls to confess and he didn’t even _like_ James. 

On second thought, maybe finding Shiro wasn’t the best idea. 

He’d ask all kinds of (technically innocent) questions about Keith’s day and what his plans were and something would definitely slip. Even if Shiro knew he and James were interacting more, the whole “dating” part of it hadn’t come up yet, let alone the fact that it was fake dating. 

“Yes, sir.”

Keith had been wandering aimlessly as his mind drifted but he stopped as soon as the voice registered. That was definitely James’ voice coming from around the corner but who was he talking to? They were closer to the dormitory wings than any of the academic offices so who the hell...?

Keith poked his head around the corner just enough to get a glimpse around the corner. It wasn’t _sneaking_, he just wanted to get more information without interrupting. He managed to spot James, thankfully facing the opposite direction, leaned up against the wall and... alone.

“Finals? But Admiral Sanda said-... No, only a 98%... Yes, sir. I will do my best.” He adjusted his stance against the wall and Keith could spot a cell phone pressed to his ear. So, James was just as much of a kiss-up as Keith thought, at least he got something right. He really had to make calls about exams? Did he only take breaks when he was with Keith? Suddenly James straightened his back and stood up properly. 

“Yes, sir... I understand. I just-... Yes, sir... May twenty-eighth...Goodbye.” James lowered the phone at the same time that Keith fully rounded the corner. 

“So, you have Iverson on speed dial?” He asked because he couldn’t think of anyone else that James would speak so formally to. And it honestly wouldn’t be shocking if James did have personal contact with teachers. He kissed their ass enough, it seemed like a natural progression. James nearly jumped a foot in the air and, impressively, spun around with toppling over. 

“Keith! How long have you been standing there?” 

“Not long but long enough to hear you talking about finals week with a professor.” The twenty-eighth was their last day of classes before final exams and practical evaluations began. It was circled in every student’s calendar like a death sentence. 

“Profes- No, that was my father.”

It took a second for everything to realign and click in Keith’s mind. “Oh.” 

“I usually call him and keep him updated, but I forgot to last night.” James explained as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. “He called right after my last class so I couldn’t miss it.” He seemed tense, and not his usual stick up his ass kind of tense. 

“Is... everything okay?” Keith didn’t have many memories of his dad but not even his foster parents ever demanded weekly reports. James just sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I-“ He shook his head and Keith noticed how tired James looked. Had he looked like this the last time they ate together? On their last date? Or James’ father just that draining. 

“Do you think we could do a raincheck on tonight?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, of course.” 

“Thanks.” James’ shoulder’s slumped slightly and Keith suddenly wanted to take it back. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” It looked like James was about to lean in to take his hand but stopped halfway through. 

Keith didn’t have any time to wonder why he _wanted_ to take his hand before James was walking past him and disappeared around the corner. 

After that, all Keith could do was continue wandering, trying to ignore the little itch in the back of his mind telling him that something was wrong. It was none of his business, anyway. So what if James had some weird talk with his dad and canceled their date? It wasn't like Keith had been dying to go out. Now he could spend the night with his actual friends like he always did.   
It was all good. 

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Later that evening, Keith was in Hunk and Lance's dorm, sitting on the floor with his back against Lance's bed like he always way. Pidge and Lance were still trying to pick a bad movie to tear apart while Hunk was working his magic on the other side of the room. Too many instances where Lance got overexcited and accidentally landed on the griddle had mad distance a top priority for these kinds of nights. Everything was just like normal. It was _fine_.

But Keith still couldn't get quite comfortable, still couldn't;t get James' expression out of his head even though he shouldn't care at all. If anything, he should be happy that James canceled! He was with his best friends and not trekking around town looking for places to eat with his limited spending budget. At least Hunk was kind enough to give him food for free. He probably would have ended up paying for James' meal too since he was the one to suggest going out. 

Not that James would have let him, he always pitched in on the tab... Or just covered the bill himself since he got an allowance every other week. 

"Keith."

So maybe it was for the best that James had called off the date? He wouldn't be spending so much money on their dates and Keith didn't have to feel guilty about all the money being spent on him. One less thing on his conscience. Plus, space was good, they could go a night without spending time together.

"Keeeeith."

But maybe the reason James canceled was that his dad found out about the dates? Maybe he was pissed his son was blowing all his cash on takeout. It would make sense, but then that would mean that James was in trouble because of Keith. Would James stop offering to pay for dates? Would he stop asking Keith to go out altogether?

"KEITH!"

"What?!" He sprung out of his thoughts to see all three of his friends staring at him like he'd just said everything out loud. Maybe he had...Pidge scooted closer so she was kneeling next to him.

"You okay? You've been kinda... Broody. And not your usual kind of broody." Keith almost brushed her off but she seemed genuinely concerned. Did he really look that upset?

"Is it because your boo stood you up?" Lance asked but he didn't look nearly as worried as Pidge or Hunk. Just curious, because he was a rotten gossip when he wanted to be. 

"No, he didn't stand me up. Something happened with his dad and he asked for a raincheck, that's all." He explained, hoping that would be the end of it but it only seemed to grab the others' attention more.

"Wait, what? Is his dad okay?" Pidge tilted her head slightly in concern and Keith shrugged one shoulder. 

"I think? James said it was nothing." No, he didn't, Keith hadn't even asked. But he would have told Keith if something was really wrong, surely. But he did seem really tired. Maybe everything wasn't fine. "He just seemed... upset. I don't think his dad is the soft and fuzzy type." 

Hunk's brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to both listen and finish the latest quesadilla. It was a chore getting the perfect golden crisp on the edges. "If he looked upset, shouldn't you be with him now? I know you're not actually... you know, but still."

"James might not be _your_ boyfriend but you're definitely his." Pidge cut back in and Keith wanted the ground to swallow him whole. 

"Doesn't he have other friends he can talk to? Like that Ryan guy? He's always hanging around Griffin." That was true, but would James have gone looking for them? Would they know something was wrong and go to James regardless? They were his best friends but Keith was _dating him_. 

"Yeah, I guess..." James wasn't some loner who had no one to turn to, he had friends and family who Keith was sure would help him through anything. Keith wasn't his only option here, so why did that not make him feel any better? "I don't know if he went to dinner," Keith admitted softly. Even if James did go to dinner, he'd already told Keith he didn't like it. Was he too upset to even eat? 

"So go bring him some." Hunk offered and Keith looked up at him with what must have been the most dumbfounded expression because the older boy just rolled his eyes. "You had a date planned, right? He's upset and you're worried about him. So, here." Hunk slid two quesadillas onto a plate and then covered them with a paper towel. He passed it over to Keith. "Go have dinner with your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend." Keith protested even as he reached out and took the plate. Pidge huffed, whether at Keith or he fact that Hunk had just given away _her_ food, he didn't know. 

"Just get out of here, lover boy. Go comfort your mans!" Lance crooned and looked like he was about to drape himself over Keith's lap if he didn't get up in the next three seconds.   
Keith was up and out the door in under two.

Even if he managed to escape Lance and had the blessings of Hunk and Pidge, Keith stood outside their door for another minute or two. 

"Yo, Kogane!" Keith's head shot up to see Nadia, Ryan, and Ina walking in his direction- no James in sight. "I thought that was you! How goes it?"

"No. We were just-" Nadia slapped a hand over his mouth. Ryan didn't seem at all fazed. 

"Just! About to my room and look at next week's assignments! Gotta get ahead of that homework, ya know?" There was a beat of silence before Ina shook her head. 

"That is false. Nadia has never preemptively begun any assignment more than eighteen hours before the assigned due date. We are going-" Nadia slapped her other hand over _her_ mouth. 

"To do homework! Lots and lots of homework." She looked at the plate Keith was holding. "Whatcha got there?"

"Uh, I-" Keith suddenly blanked. He didn't even know if these three liked him as James' boyfriend. They hadn't really spent that much time together. "I didn't know if James went to dinner. We had a-"

"He didn't!" Nadia cut in; it was a miracle half the hallway wasn't;t poking their heads out to see what was going on. "Nope. Missed dinner like a sad dummy. You should go see him." Ryan pulled his head back just enough to escape his makeshift gag. 

"But we were just about-" 

"BYE, KEITH!" Nadia grabbed her two companions by the hands and dragged them back down the hallway in the direction they came. Keith couldn't even say goodbye himself. After the initial bemusement faded, Keith turned and started making his way to James' room. 

It was probably a good thing no one had come out to investigate, god only knew the havoc that would come from Lance and Nadia getting together. It would be a disaster. A loud, annoying disaster. 

Before Keith could think about what he was doing too much, he was at James' door, holding a plate of food and trying to ignore how his palms were getting sweaty with nerves. He knocked on the door before he could convince himself to turn around and eat the evidence in the privacy of his own room. It took a few terribly long seconds, but eventually, he heard rustling from inside and soon enough the door slid open to reveal the cause of Keith's anxiety. 

James looked... not as bad as before but not much better. There were bags under his eyes and his uniform was only half done up, showing up the white t-shirt underneath. His hair was an absolute mess so Keith could only assume he'd fallen asleep after classes ended. And he was looking at Keith like he didn't know whether to throw himself back or slam the door closed. Keith blurted out the first thing that came to his head before he could decide. 

"I brought you food!" His voice was too loud and even James flinched at his bluntness. He reeled it back quickly. "You just- I didn't know if you ate and I said we should get food anyway and Hunk already was making food and I wanted to make sure you were okay." Okay meaning: Not starving because Keith had failed to recognize you were sad when he was trying to be a fake boyfriend and not okay because Keith was worried that he hadn't done a good job as an actual boyfriend. James looked between the plate and Keith's face several times before silently stepping out of the way to let the boy inside. 

His room was as tidy as ever, save for the rumpled sheets and the half dozen textbooks covering his bed. There was a James sized gap in the books, just big enough to sit and read and not do much else. James hurriedly pushed the books out of the way and tried to straighten out his blankets as best he could but it was a lost cause. Once there was enough room he slumped down and looked up at Keith like he still couldn't quite believe his eyes. 

“You left your friends to bring me dinner?”

“We had a date planned for tonight, right?” This wasn’t their usual style, but Keith figured this could still count as a date as he sat down beside his...not-boyfriend. “Plus, you didn’t show up at dinner when we went down there to steal plates earlier, so it wasn’t like I had a chance to invite you. This was plan B.” This was probably for the best, though, since his plan A had been to hide and sulk in Hunk's dorm like a coward. "I hope you like quesadillas? I'm not sure what else Hunk put in them besides cheese." He revealed the food and carefully divided it up between the two plates. James took his with a. grateful smile.

"This is perfect." James smiled (for the first time that Keith had seen all day) and took a hefty bite out of his food. The moan the proceeded would have been hysterical if they weren't currently on a bed, alone. "I'm dumping you and proposing to Hunk." Keith reeled back, absolutely aghast. 

"What?! But I _brought it!_" 

"Tough nuts, I'm buying the ring tomorrow." Keith rolled his eyes and dug into his own quesadilla... Okay, maybe James was justified. Hunk did make some damn good food.

Eventually, they pulled out James' laptop and put on a random movie that came up in the streaming recommendations. Neither of them were really paying attention as they ate, they just wanted some background noise, but somehow it ended with them pressed against each other with James' head tucked against his shoulder. 

"My dad's not as scary as he seems. He's just... strict." James suddenly muttered, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the movie.

"With you? I never would have guessed." Keith joked and received a flick to the leg as a punishment. Things were quiet for a moment or two after and Keith thought that was the end of it, until James spoke up again, this time a little louder.

"You know, he didn't want me joining the Garrison."

"Really? Why not?" 

"He's an army vet. Wanted me to do the same, but only if I went into the army too."

"Does... Does your dad not realize the garrison is a _military_ organization?" Hell, it as hard to forget when they had recruitment posters on every corner in the city. 

"Yeah, he does, he just... wasn't as receptive to the idea of me being a pilot instead of an infantry soldier like him." James sighed softly to himself and picked at the hem of his shirt. "He   
supports me, of course, but he's not gonna believe I made the right choice until I get some stripes on my shoulders." 

"Well, then you've got nothing to worry about." If anything, James was going to follow in Adam's footsteps and absolutely rule the Garrison after graduation. All the professors already kissed the ground he walked on. But James just shook his head.

"You don't know that."

"James, you're, like, the smartest guy in the building."

"No, that's Ina. She's got a calculator for a brain."

"Best pilot, then." 

"Not me either." James twisted around to poke Keith in the chest. "You're the best flyer since Takashi Shirogane and everyone knows it. You can outfly anyone on this base, remember?" Yeah... He had said that, hadn't he?

As much as I hate it, I'm average at best. I'm good at taking orders and delegating tasks. That doesn't get you very far when that's what you're supposed to do anyway." Keith listened and tried not to interrupt, even though he really wanted to interrupt because what the hell? Since when did James think so low of himself? "I want to do well here, make my parents proud. If you're not ahead, then you're behind and I-" James turned his face away so Keith couldn't see it if he wanted to. "I'm sick of feeling like I'm left behind, Keith." 

The older boy suddenly straightened up and pushed himself away from Keith, running a frazzled hand through his hair. "Jeez, I did _not_ mean to dump all that on you. I'm so sorry, you didn't need to deal with that. I think I'm overtired or something." He looked like he was about to stand so Keith did the first thing he thought of. He grabbed James by the arm and pulled him back down against his side. 

"Hey, quit it. You're a damn good pilot and one of the best cadets here. Everyone _wishes_ they could be half as smart and disciplined as you." Okay, maybe that was a stretch but that didn't discount the fact that James was at the top of their class for a reason. "You're not behind, so stop worrying so much." James ducked his head in embarrassment. 

"Still. I'm sorry you had to walk in on me talking to my dad and about our date." He mumbled and this time Keith didn't hesitate to pinch his ear.

"We're on a date now, dummy. Now shut up and watch the movie." He wrapped an arm around James' shoulders so he couldn't pull away again. The dorms were cold and Keith didn't want to bother using a blanket. Plus, James had already been keeping his side warm so now he had to take responsibility and keep it up. It was only fair. And it's not like he minded since James settled against him after a few seconds anyway. "Feel better?"

James didn't answer behind a soft hum and snuggling in closer to Keith's side, which, okay, even Keith could admit was pretty damn cute. He kept his arm around James for the rest of the night and by the time the credits were rolling, they were both fast asleep. 


End file.
